Sources: Reggie Bush to be Stripped of Heisman

By: Stephen Smith
Topics: Scandals

Running back Reggie Bush of the USC Trojans poses with the 2005 Heisman trophy, at the 71st Annual Heisman Ceremony, Dec. 10, 2005 in New York City.

(Credit: Getty)

(CBS/AP) It appears that Reggie Bush might become the first football player ever to be stripped of the Heisman Trophy.

Sources tell Yahoo! Sports that the Heisman Trust is expected to revoke college football's top honor from the former USC star by the end of the month. The news comes two months after the NCAA found major violations in the Trojans' football program during Bush's Heisman-winning 2005 season.

USC won 12 games during the 2005 season, which ended with a loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS title game.

Sources said the trust will strip Bush of his award and leave the honor for that season vacant. It would be the first time the trophy has been revoked in the award's 75-year history, Yahoo! Sports reports.

However, Robert Whalen, executive director of the Heisman Trophy Trust, told The AP on Tuesday that "the Heisman Trophy trust has made no decision regarding the Reggie Bush situation."

In June, the NCAA leveled the university with stinging penalties, issuing a two-year bowl ban and declaring Bush ineligible dating back to the Trojans' 2004 national championship.

Read a news release of the NCAA sanctions

Citing USC for a lack of institutional control in its long-awaited report, the NCAA also put the entire athletic program on four years' probation, took away a total of 30 football scholarships over three years and vacated every victory in which Bush participated in from December 2004 through the 2005 season.

The NCAA found that Bush, identified as a "former football student-athlete," was ineligible beginning at least by December 2004, a ruling that could open discussion on the revocation of the New Orleans Saints star's Heisman. Members of the Heisman Trust have said they might review Bush's award if he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith is a news producer and sports editor for CBSNews.com

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by moblack29 September 7, 2010 4:04 PM EDT

This is clearly a case of MODERN day racism! The NCAA, College Football, and Basketball discriminate against underprivileged minorities by making Billions off of their services from marketing and television contracts without paying the players or their families a cent. This is MODERN day SLAVERY!!! Why doesn't the African-American and Hispanic Lawyers sue these Slave Owners for all the Billions of monies owed! Calling all Black and Brown attorneys - STAND UP AND TAKE A STAND for Humanity!!!!

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by mitch0927 September 7, 2010 4:34 PM EDT: moblack29, you are so full of crap!! Sure, call more lawyers and bilk more un-earned money. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE CRYING RACISM!!!


by rational_1 September 9, 2010 12:16 PM EDT: Aren't many of these guys on scholarship? Free education at USC sounds pretty good to me, not to mention free coaching from a guy like Pete Carroll so you can be prepared by the time you get to the NFL, where you make your millions. Basically college football is an apprenticeship program for the NFL. How many apprentices make big bucks? Think Bush would have been playing in the NFL if not for his development as a player while at USC? He benefited a great deal from his time at USC without needing to break the rules. Lay off the slavery histrionics - it makes you look like an idiot and disrespects people who were really slaves.


by AnnieDanny September 7, 2010 1:09 PM EDT: This article FAILS to tell why the guy can't keep his trophy. Even a brief summary would be nice to know. Seems like a very severe punishment.; Reply to this comment


by mitch0927 September 7, 2010 12:14 PM EDT: skarrzpop , to answer your question with one word:

LAWYERS!!!

You know they made millions off of this. It isn't about what USC or Reggie Bush did, they don't care. They will drag something as far, keep billing the hours, and when it is all done and said, it will be the LAWYERS who reap the benefits..; Reply to this comment


by ashaindra September 7, 2010 11:36 AM EDT: Let me know when OJ Simpson gets his Heisman trophy and jersey taken away from USC. Also please let me know when USC gives back all the money they made off of Reggie Bush teams because of their success. K thanks.; Reply to this comment


by skarrzpop September 7, 2010 11:13 AM EDT: So *** is this?..from what I read it seems that Bush shouldnt have been allowed to play from 2004-2005?..Is that it?..Why the F--K didnt the NCAA make sure he didnt?...Im sorry but i just dont understand this article well enough to say more...Im probally wrong on my interpretation of this article. Also..why does it take upwards of 5 YEARS for this to come to light and decisions now being made?...; Reply to this comment